February 02, 2007

Tip Bit #5: WH-Questions

Today’s tip is on the use of a framework to generate ideas or to study. Imagine that you need to write a paper or a student note for a law journal. You’ve read a few articles and news items that may suggest a possible topic for your writing, but you are not sure where to begin. One way to help you generate ideas is to use a framework that would allow you to describe your issue or problem from various perspectives. For example, you can create a mind map with the topic in the center and wh-questions – who, what, where, when, why, how -- as the main branches. Record any words and images that come to mind and link them to the branch that triggered those associations. Don’t evaluate your ideas, just put down as many as you can. The questions will stimulate your thinking. Later, you can decide which ideas can be used in your writing and organize them in an outline.

You can also use wh-questions in your studies. Decide which legal concept you want to review, write down the wh-questions, and try to recall as much information as you can using the questions as your guide.